For the first time in over three decades, the Ram 1500 pickup truck with be offered with a diesel engine starting in the third quarter of the year.

The new 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will use the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 unit manufactured by Italy's VM Motori mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission that was presented in the facelifted 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee at last month's Detroit Auto Show.

"Truck owners have been emphatically asking for it, and Ram will be the only manufacturer to offer a diesel powertrain in the half-ton segment with the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel," said Ram CEO Fred Diaz.

"The Ram 1500 with 3.0-liter V-6 turbo EcoDiesel and TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission deliver on the demands of truckers by providing best-in-class torque, fuel economy and range. There’s no doubt that being the only truck manufacturer to offer this game changing technology will provide Ram with a competitive advantage," added Diaz.

Ram did not release any performance or fuel economy numbers for the V6 diesel, but for the record, in the Grand Cherokee, this engine is rated at 240-horsepower and 420 lb-ft of peak torque returning an estimated 30mpg highway (7.8 lt/100km).